Battle of Duc Duc

The Battle of Duc Duc was a battle of the Vietnam War which was fought from 18 July to 4 October 1974.

In July 1974, the North Vietnamese NVA launched an operation to capture the Khe Le Valley and bypass the ARVN base at Duc Duc via the Duy Xuyen trails. NVA artillery, rockets, and mortar rounds were fired at the ARVN outpost at Da Trach, but the ARVN initially repelled NVA attacks with heavy losses. Eventually, NVA tanks moved in, and the NVA rounded up 7,500 civilians and relocated them to behind their lines to allow for all-out battle with the ARVN. The NVA concurrently attacked Da Nang, slightly damaging the airbase there. Over the next few months, the ARVN was greatly weakened while holding back the NVA, who made slight gains despite heavy losses. During the summer and autumn of 1974, the ARVN 3rd Division and attached Rangers had reached exhaustion, having lost 4,700 men.